How we treat each other matters more than the results

A reflection on behaviour at a recent ranking event - and why it matters for the future of our sport

Last weekend’s Marblehead ranking event should have been everything we love about radio sailing: close racing, good company, and the simple pleasure of spending a day by the water. And to be fair, most competitors were exactly that - welcoming, supportive, and quick to lend a hand when someone’s winch jammed or a rudder servo decided to retire early.

But it’s time we talked honestly about something that is quietly damaging our sport.

Because despite the overwhelmingly positive atmosphere, a small number of individuals - often unintentionally, often in the heat of competition- manage to spoil the day for others through behaviour that is unnecessary, unhelpful, and frankly off‑putting for newcomers.

🚩 The behaviours we all recognise - but rarely challenge

These aren’t new problems. They’re not unique to Marbleheads. They’re not even unique to ranking and national events. But they are visible and damaging to the growth to our sport.

Here are the behaviours that repeatedly come up:

• Shouting rules at newcomers and quieter sailors - especially when the other party is actually in the right. Nothing says “welcome to the sport” like being barked at by someone who hasn’t checked the situation properly.

• Bellowing “STARBOARD!” at maximum volume - as if volume creates right of way. It doesn’t. It just creates tension.

• Arguing incidents on the bank for far too long - anything beyond a few seconds is theatre, not resolution.

• Persistent negativity - muttering, complaining, or blaming conditions, other sailors, or the RO.

• Aggressive body language - stepping forward, looming over someone, or gesturing in frustration.

  
  

None of these behaviours make anyone faster. None of them improve the racing. And none of them align with the spirit of the sport we claim to love.

One personal memory accentuating the impact of negative behaviour was an IOM National championship race at Fleetwood, when at the windward mark, so many people were shouting, anyone watching from the road must have thought there was a fight going on. Thing went quiet on the run but the shouting reared up again at the leeward gate. Not an image we want to promote in our sport.

🎯 The real impact: we are driving people away

This is the part that should worry us.

I’ve spoken to a number of club sailors across the country who attended one ranking event - just one - and decided it wasn’t for them. Not because of the competition level. Not because of the travel. But because of the behaviour.

They didn’t feel welcome. They didn’t feel safe to make mistakes. They didn’t feel respected.

And if newcomers don’t feel those things, they don’t come back.

We talk endlessly about “growing the sport”, but growth doesn’t come from glossy posters, new boats, or social‑media videos. It comes from how we treat each other on the bank.

📜 Have we forgotten the RYA Charter?

The RYA’s Racing Charter is clear:

“Competitors shall behave in a sportsmanlike manner and shall not bring the sport into disrepute.”

It’s not optional. It’s not a suggestion. It’s a standard.

But somewhere along the way, some of us have stopped living up to it. Not maliciously - just through habit, adrenaline, and the culture that has quietly developed around competitive radio sailing.

Maybe it’s time to bring the Charter back into the conversation.

🧭 A simple solution: a clear, visible Code of Conduct

We don’t need a 20‑page document. We don’t need committees or bureaucracy. We need clarity.

A short, visible, unambiguous Code of Conduct for ranking events could include:

• Respectful communication at all times

• No shouting of rules - ever

• Incidents resolved quickly and calmly or just announce protest

• Support for newcomers as a shared responsibility

• Zero tolerance for intimidation or aggression

This isn’t about policing behaviour. It’s about setting expectations so everyone knows the standard we race to.

And crucially: It protects newcomers. It protects volunteers. It protects the reputation of the sport.

🌱 We can fix this - but only if we choose to

Radio sailing is one of the most enjoyable, accessible, and sociable forms of racing. A beautiful day at a ranking event should leave people energised, not deflated.

If we want the sport to grow, if we want newcomers to stay, and if we want ranking events to feel like the best days of the year rather than the most stressful, then we must take responsibility for our behaviour — individually and collectively.

A beautiful day is easy to spoil. But it’s just as easy to protect.

If we don't change maybe we give PRO's the ability to issue penalty turns for the behaviours referenced above.

If you agree or disagree, send me a comment.

Here is the RYA charter and the relevant racing rules of sailing, rule 2 and 69

Rule 2 FAIR SAILING

A boat and her owner shall compete in compliance with recognized principles of sportsmanship and fair play. A boat may be penalized under this rule only if it is clearly established that these principles have been violated. The penalty shall be a disqualification that is not excludable.

Rule 69 MISCONDUCT

Obligation not to Commit Misconduct; Resolution

1. (a)  A competitor, boat owner or support person shall not commit an act of misconduct.

2. (b)  Misconduct is:

   1. (1)  conduct that is a breach of good manners, a breach of good sportsmanship, or unethical behaviour; or

   2. (2)  conduct that may bring, or has brought, the sport into disrepute.

3. (c)  An allegation of a breach of rule 69.1(a) shall be resolved in accordance with the provisions of rule 69. It shall not be grounds for a protest.